NARA Bulletin 2006-05

July 31, 2006

ATTENTION! This page has been superseded. The information listed 

below is no longer accurate. For NARA's current guidance please visit 

 http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/bulletins/2009/2009-03.html. 

Please note that this page is available only as a technical and historical 

reference. 

TO: Heads of Federal agencies

SUBJECT: Pre-accessioning permanent electronic records

EXPIRATION DATE: July 31, 2009 (per NARA Bulletin 2007-01)

1. What is the purpose of this bulletin? Originally issued in July 2004 as 

NARA Bulletin 2004-02, NARA Bulletin 2006-05 continues without change 

the provisions of the earlier bulletin. This bulletin defines what the National 

Archives and Records Administration (NARA) means when discussing preaccessioning of electronic records with archival value and describes the 

criteria for determining when pre-accessioning is appropriate.

2. What is pre-accessioning? Pre-accessioning is when NARA fully 

processes permanently valuable electronic records in order to assume 

physical custody before the records are scheduled to become part of the 

National Archives of the United States. During processing, NARA will copy 

the records onto archival quality media, verify the adequacy of the technical 

documentation, prepare the documentation according to NARA standards, 

and write draft descriptions of the records for later inclusion into NARA's 

Online Catalog once the records are transferred into NARA's legal custody. 

The transferring agency retains legal custody of the pre-accessioned 

electronic records until the records are scheduled to come under the legal 

custody of NARA. This allows NARA to preserve the records early in their 

lifecycle while the agency retains its authority and responsibility for providing 

access. It also provides the agency with off-site, no-cost security copies of 

the pre-accessioned records.

3. What records will NARA pre-accession? NARA will pre-accession only 

electronic records that have been appraised as permanent. NARA will make 

the decision to pre-accession records on a case-by-case basis in 

consultation with the agency.

4. What records are appropriate for pre-accessioning? NARA is more 

likely to pre-accession records when the records:

NARA Bulletin 2006-05 Page 1 of 3

http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/bulletins/2006/2006-05.html 2/3/2015
• are part of an active agency dissemination program. Pre-accessioning 

permits the agency to protect its dissemination program while turning 

preservation over to NARA;

• have clearly defined cut off dates and are not cumulative, such as 

e-mail records and publications;

• contain highly sensitive information over which the agency wants to 

maintain access control; or

• are snapshots, taken at appropriate intervals, of dynamic databases 

with information that is constantly being updated.

5. What records are not likely to be pre-accessioned? NARA would likely 

decline to pre-accession databases that are cumulative in nature. 

Cumulative databases are those that only have new information added with 

none of the old information being changed or deleted. To pre-accession such 

databases would require NARA to fully re-process previously processed 

records during subsequent pre-accessioning transfers or at the time of 

accessioning.

6. What reference service will NARA provide on pre-accessioned 

records? NARA will provide at no cost copies of pre-accessioned records to 

the agency upon request. If NARA receives an inquiry about preaccessioned records, NARA will refer the researcher to the agency and will 

not respond to any question about the nature or contents of the records or 

possible access to the records. The agency will be responsible for 

responding to all discovery efforts, Freedom of Information Act requests, and 

other reference inquiries.

7. What are the pre-accessioning procedures?

 a. NARA and the agency agree that NARA should pre-accession a 

body of electronic records into the physical custody of the National Archives. 

The agency retains legal custody of the pre-accessioned electronic records.

 b. The agency completes and signs an Agreement to Transfer Records 

to the National Archives (SF 258) and submits it to NARA. Block 11 contains 

the date that the records will be eligible for acceptance into the legal custody 

of the National Archives.

 c. NARA processes the records and then countersigns the SF 258 in 

block 3A and returns a copy to the agency.

 d. When the time agreed to accept the records into the legal custody of 

the National Archives arrives (the date specified in block 11), NARA notifies 

the agency.

NARA Bulletin 2006-05 Page 2 of 3

http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/bulletins/2006/2006-05.html 2/3/2015
.

 e. If the agency has no objection, NARA will sign in block 16 to accept 

the records into the legal custody of National Archives of the United States.

 f. At that time, NARA assumes responsibility for providing reference 

services for the electronic records.

8. Who do I contact for additional information? For additional information 

on pre-accessioning, contact the Archival Services Manager, Electronic and 

Special Media Records Services Division (NWME), at (301) 837-3420 or 

cer@nara.gov.

ALLEN WEINSTEIN

Archivist of the United States

Contact Us Accessibility Privacy Policy Freedom of Information Act No FEAR Act USA.gov

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272 

NARA Bulletin 2006-05 Page 3 of 3

http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/bulletins/2006/2006-05.html 2/3/2015